ocean energy

FORESEA calls for support packages to commercialise offshore renewable energy

Funding Ocean Renewable Energy through Strategic European Action (FORESEA) opened a third call for support package applications to support offshore renewable energy technologies.

Support packages will help commercialise offshore renewable energy technologies by giving free access to FORESEA’s network of test sites. The call is open to technologies ready to deploy and complete testing before 2019. FORESEA is an 11 million euro project that helps to bring offshore renewable energy technologies to market by offering free access to a world-leading network of test centres. As such, it is an important piece of the finance package which enables offshore renewable energy developers to test their technologies in real sea conditions.

The project has awarded 25 ‘recommendations for support’ to developers through two previous competitive calls for applications. The final granting of support will be made upon signature of contract between the technology developer and the relevant test centre. The call will be formally launched at the Orkney Ocean Energy Day, which is taking place at the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) facilities around the Orkney Islands today (28th June 2017).

“Scotrenewables greatly appreciates FORESEA support towards demonstrating our low cost floating tidal technology at full scale” said James Murray, Business Development Manager at Scotrenewables Tidal Power. “Using this support, the SR2000 2MW test programme delivered a new industry record for ‘peak-power’ generation and provided invaluable data to our engineering team towards the delivery of commercial units, through our flagship Horizon2020 FloTEC project.”

EMEC Programme Manager Nicolas Wallet added that testing ocean energy technologies at sea is challenging. Capital costs are high and technologies are not yet de-risked enough for private investors to step in. The FORESEA project makes a strong contribution towards overcoming this industry-wide challenge by reducing the up-front cost of testing. As well as continuing to support marine energy convertor technologies, the 3rd FORESEA call will reach out to developers of products, services and key components that will enable the development of the ocean energy sector.

Image: Scotrenewables SR2000 at Fall of Warness test site (Scotrenewables)